Screen stencil frame



Sept. 20, 1966 T, 1 ROSEMA ET AL 3,273,497

SCREEN STENCIL FRAME Filed Jan. 23, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 20, 1966 T, J, ROSEMA ET AL 3,273,497

SCREEN STENCIL FRAME P, LA

2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Jan. 25, 1964 Q lllllllllllllll" .2

IN VEN TOR Thomas Izmcs Roae ma 12u-swell Farze Il m//WJ (Egal-agg United States Patent O 3,273,497 SCREEN STENCIL FRAME Thomas James Rosema and Harry Russell Farwell, both of Grand Rapids, Mich., assignors to James A. Black, President of General Research, Inc., Grand Rapids, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Jan. 23, 1964, Ser. No. 339,736 3 Claims. (Cl. lill-128.1)

The present invention relates to screen stencils for use in the process of screen stencil printing.

The primary objects of the invention are to provide :an improved screen stencil frame of the same general type as that disclosed in Patent No. 2,566,919 issued September 4, 1951 to James A. Black et al.; to provide such a frame on which a screen stencil fabric of silk, nylon, steel wire mesh or the like can quickly and easily be mounted; to provide such an improved screen stencil frame in the use of which no stitching or hemming of the stencil fabric is required; to provide such a stencil frame which is so constructed that `a stencil fabric can quickly be mounted thereon without the use of tacks, staples, cement or sealing tape; to provide such a stencil frame from which a screen stencil may quickly and easily be removed for replacement with another stencil; and in general to provide such `a screen stencil frame which is rugged and sturdy in construction and reasonably economical in manufacture.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of a stencil frame with parts embodying the invention associated therewith;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of parts of said frame taken on line 2 2 of FIGURE 1, certain parts thereof being shown in disassembled relatlon;

FIGURE 3 is a similar vertical sectional view, taken on line 3 3 of FIGURE 1 and showing the several parts of the frame in positions which they occupy just prior to assembly of the stencil fabric to the frame;

FIGURE 4 is a similar vertical sectional view showing the parts of the frame in positions which they occupy during assembly of the stencil fabric to the frame;

FIGURE 5 is a similar vertical sectional view showing the stencil fabric fully assembled to the frame;

FIGURE 6 is a similar vertical sectional view, taken on line 6--6 of FIGURE l, and illustrating the manner in which the stencil fabric is drawn taut across the bottom of the stencil frame;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary perspective View showing the parts of the frame in disassembled relation;

FIGURE 8 is Va similar perspective View showing the parts of the frame in certain positions which they occupy during assembly of the stencil fabric to the frame;

FIGURE 9 is a similar perspective View showing the parts in certain other positions which they occupy during assembly of the stencil fabric to the frame;

FIGURE 10 is a similar perspective view showing the stencil fabric fully assembled to the frame;

FIGURE 11 is a similar perspective view illustrating the manner in which the stencil fabric is drawn taut across the bottom of the frame; and

FIGURE 12 is a top plan view of the fully assembled stencil fabric and frame.

Referring now in detail to these drawings, the stencil frame there shown generally comprises a rectangular base frame having side rails 21 fabricated of cross-sectionally rectangular tubular metal. A hinge plate 22 is shown attached to the outer surface of each of said side rails 21 by means of screws 23, each hinge plate extending substantially the length of the side rail to which it is attached.

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A hinge leaf 24 is hingedly connected to and depends from the upper longitudinal edge of each hinge plate 22, the hinge connections being of the piano hinge type with a pin 25 passing through and interlocking the curled flanges on the hinge plate and hinge leaf. Each hinge leaf 24 terminates slightly above the bottom of the yadjacent side rail 21 of the base frame in an outwardly extending and upwardly opening longitudinal channel having a bottom web 26, an inner wall 27 and an outer wall 28 inclined upwardly-inwardly toward the inner wall. The inner wall 27 has a plurality of projections 29 formed therein which extend outwardly toward the outer wall 28.

An elongated at metal plate or bar 30` is provided for the channel at the lower end of each hinge leaf 24, each bar 30 -being substantially coextensive in length with its channel. Each bar 30 has on its inner edge notches 31 which are adapted to register with the projections 29 on the inner wall 27 of the channel.

The marginal edges of the screen stencil fabric 32 are assembled to the respective side rails 21 of the stencil frame by wrapping each of said marginal edges under andaround a bar 30, and then rolling the bar 30 into its channel with the notches 31 in registry with the projections 29 so as to clear said projections, as illustrated in FIGURES 4, 8 and 9. After each bar 30 has been fully inserted wit-hin its channel thus to clamp the marginal edge of t-he stencil fabric 32 between the bar and the walls of the channel, the bar 30 is then slid longitudinally to a position of non-registry of the notches 31 with the projections 29, as best illustrated in FIGURES 10 and l1. Thus the bar and the marginal edge of the stencil fabric are retained within the channel beneath said projections and said upwardly-inwardly extending outer wall of the channel. If desired, and in order to more securely attach the stencil fabric to the frame, two of the bars 30y may be applied to each marginal edge of the fabric instead o'f only one as shown.

After the marginal edges of the stencil fabric 32 have been fully assembled to the stencil frame as above described, the fabric 32 is drawn taut across the bottom of the base fr-ame 20 by means of screws 33 threaded through the hinge leaves 24 and having their inner ends abutting the hinge plates 22. These screws 33 are progressively tightened to 'swing the hinge leaves 24 outwardly and thus draw the stencil fabric to drum-tautness across the bottom of the frame. The screen stencil is then ready for stencil printing, either in a manual or a machine stencilling operation.

It will thus be seen that the invention provides a novel and eicient screen stencil frame in the use of which a screen stencil fabric may quickly and easily be mounted on or removed from the frame.

While but one specific embodiment of the invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details thereof may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims.

We claim:

1. A device for securing a marginal edge of a stencil fabric to a side rail of a stencil frame, comprising: a hinge plate adapted for attachment to the outer surface of said side rail and extending substantially the length of said rail; a hinge leaf Ihingedly connected to the upper longitudinal edge of said hinge plate and depending therefrom, said hinge leaf terminating slightly above the bottom `of said side `rail in a channel having an open longitudinal surface, spaced side walls, one of said walls being inclined toward the other wall, said other wall having a plurality of projections extending therefrom toward the first of said walls; Iand a bar substantially coextensive in length with said channel, said bar having a width approximately equal to the width of said channel and having on one of its edges notches adapted to register with said projections, said bar being insertable in said channel through said open longitudinal surface with the marginal edge of the stencil fabric clamped between the bar and the walls of the channel and with the notches in the bar clearing said projections during such insertion, said bar being longitudinally slidable after such insertion to a position of non-registry of said notches with said projections whereby the bar and the marginal edge of the stencil fabric are retained wit-hin the channel behind said projections and said inclined wall.

2. A device for securing a marginal edge of a stencil fabric to a side rail of a stencil frame, comprising: a hinge pl-ate adapted for attachment to the outer surface of said side rail and extending substantially the length of said rail; a hinge leaf hingedly connected to the upper longitudinal edge of said hinge plate and depending therefrom, said hinge leaf terminating slightly above the bottom of said side rail in an outwardly extending and upwardly opening longitudinal channel with an open longitudinal surface having its outer Wall inclined upwardlyinwardly toward its inner wall, said inner wall having la plurality of projections extending outwardly therefrom toward said outer wall; and a bar substantially coextensive in length with said channel said bar having la width approximately equal to the width of said channel and having on its inner edge notches adapted to register with said projections, said bar being in'sertable in said channel through said open longitudinal surface with the marginal edge of the stencil fabric clamped between the bar and the walls of the channel and with the notches in the bar clearing said projections during such insertion, and said bar being longitudinally slidable after such insertion to a position of non-registry of s-aid notches with said projections whereby the bar and the marginal edge of the stencil fabric are retained wit-hin the channel beneath said projections and said upwardly-inwardly extending outer wall of the channel.

3. A device according to claim 2 in which a plurality of screws is threaded inwardly through said hinge leaf and adapted to abut against said hinge plate whereby tightening of said screws swings the hinge leaf outwardly to tauten said stencil fabric.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,042,521 10/1912 Andruskewicz 2dr-243.11 2,245,961 6/1941 Clay 160-395 2,566,919 9/1951 Black et al. lOl-129.1 X

ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner.

H. P. EWELL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE FOR SECURING A MARGINAL EDGE OF A STENCIL FABRIC TO A SIDE RAIL OF A STENCIL FRAME, COMPRISING: A HINGE PLATE ADAPTED FOR ATTACHMENT TO THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID SIDE RAIL AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY THE LENGTH OF SAID RAIL; A HINGE LEAF HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO THE UPPER LONGITUDINAL EDGE OF SAID HINGE PLATE AND DEPENDING THEREFROM, SAID HINGE LEAF TERMINATING SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE BOTTOM OF SAID SIDE RAIL IN A CHANNEL HAVING AN OPEN LONGITUDINAL SURFACE, SPACED SIDE WALLS, ONE OF SAID WALLS BEING INCLINED TOWARD THE OTHER WALL, SAID OTHER WALL HAVING A PLURALITY OF PORJECTIONS EXTENDING THEREFROM TOWARD THE FIRST AND SAID WALLS; AND A BAR SUBSTANTIALLY COEXTENSIVE IN LENGTH WITH SAID CHANNEL, SAID BAR HAVING A WIDTH APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO THE WIDTH OF SAID CHANNEL AND HAVING ON ONE OF ITS EDGES NOTCHES ADAPTED TO REGISTER WITH SAID PROJECTIONS, AND BAR BEING INSERTABLE IN SAID CHANNEL THROUGH 